tina

tina — noun

1. an informal street term for the illegal drug methamphetamine, a powerful and hig

1.nounC1
Definition

an informal street term for the illegal drug methamphetamine, a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system

Example

Police found a small bag of tina hidden inside Piotr's jacket during the search.

uncountable noun as a direct object: 'a bag of tina'

Jamal first tried tina at a warehouse party in Taipei and became addicted within weeks.

uncountable noun as object of 'tried'

Common collocations
  • bag of tina
  • sell tina
  • buy tina
  • use tina
  • try tina
  • addicted to tina
  • dangers of tina
  • effects of tina
Synonyms
  • meth

    the most common abbreviation for methamphetamine; understood across all registers

  • crystal meth

    emphasizes the crystalline form; more widely recognized than 'tina'

  • ice

    slang for high-purity crystal meth; especially common in Australia and parts of Asia

Usage Note

Frequently used in the phrase 'bag of tina' or with verbs like 'sell', 'buy', 'use', and 'try'. The term is primarily heard in US and UK party scenes and LGBTQ+ subcultures; outside these communities, 'meth' or 'crystal meth' are much more widely understood.

Common Mistakes

She asked for some tina, so I called my friend Tina.
She asked for some tina, so I called my dealer.
The slang term 'tina' sounds identical to the common female name 'Tina', which can cause serious misunderstandings in conversation.

Word family

  • methamphetamine
    nounC1
  • meth
    nounB2
  • crystal meth
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms refer to the same illegal drug but differ in register, region, and specificity. 'Meth' is the most common abbreviation and is widely understood across all contexts from news reports to casual conversation. 'Crystal meth' emphasizes the crystalline form and is the standard term in public health and law enforcement language. 'Ice' is a street term for high-purity crystal meth, particularly common in Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Southeast Asia. 'Tina' is the most restricted in usage — it belongs to specific subcultures (especially the LGBTQ+ club scene in the US and UK) and is rarely understood outside those communities. For example: 'Health officials warned about the rise of crystal meth addiction' (formal, public-health context) vs. 'He offered me some tina at the party' (slang, in-group setting).

methcrystal methice ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bag of tina
  • effects of tina
  • dangers of tina

Phrases

  • sell tina
  • buy tina
  • use tina
  • try tina

Prepositions

  • addicted to tina

Etymology

English

The origin is uncertain, but the most widely cited theory is that 'tina' comes from rhyming slang: 'Tina Turner' rhymes with 'burner' (a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine). The term emerged in US gay club culture in the 1990s and later spread to broader party scenes in the UK and Australia.